I am a 60-year-old male with pain shooting down the backs of both of my legs.  My MRI says that I have lumbar stenosis and my surgeon wants to operate.  What are the risks associated with this surgery?  I have heard some real horror stories.

Any surgery has associated risks.  Many of these can be avoided with proper procedures.  Overall, recent data shows the risk for sentinel events or avoidable mistakes to be .8 per 1000 cases in the U.S., so overall the risk is fairly low.  That being said however, you should have a discussion with your surgeon regarding your concerns and he can give you specifics regarding risks of your particular surgical procedure.